"No More Mysteries" Unlike many Dave songs, this doesn't sound like one that requires several listens to absorb - it's pretty much all coming through clearly on the first listen. Perhaps the chorus is a little too conventional and normal - I feel like I've heard that tune somewhere before. The bridge section is the only slightly odd bit, but other than that it bowls along nicely, with Dave keeping the vocal well within his comfortable range. The slide guitars give it a vaguely country feel, and - the lyric notwithstanding - I suspect a country star would easily have a hit with this song.
"Wait" Another song that's easy to absorb on first listen - the very 80s keyboard sounds and drum machine give it a bit of a sterile feel, but another good vocal from Dave, even down to the bit of falsetto during the bridge. I don't think either of today's songs would be ideal on Kinks albums, but there's nothing outlandish about either which would rule them out. A late 80s Dave solo album could have been interesting, but undoubtedly unsuccessful.
‘No More Mysteries’: I like this. Flows well, some nice slide, a good vocal…and is that an accordion, too? ‘Wait’: No, I don’t think so. Syrupy synths, strictly generic, not my cuppa.
Wait Some imaginative vocalizing over a broody soundscape, both sometimes succeeding, and sometimes not. Lyrically, Dave doesn’t take us anywhere new, or anywhere at all. The old ‘I messed up so now I’ll sit here and hope you take me back’ trope. At least these days you don’t have to be glued to your sofa staring at the phone. You can be miserable anywhere. The wonderful world of technology. No More Mysteries A top five ‘80’s Dave song for me but I didn’t know it until 2001 when Fragile was released. A shame, such a shame, it never found it’s way onto a proper album. An open that’s gets right down to business. Some well-recorded harmonica and we’re off on a sweet Dylan/McGuinn infused start, though that old Kinks charm is present, too. Dave, as protege, giving props to his mentor; a nurturing partnership that is guiding him, helping him to learn how to navigate life’s many obstacles and false leads. I can hear this on a breezy Tom Petty album; maybe even dent the charts. Over the weekend, I put this on a playlist following Mysteries, a fave Beth Gibbons track; and it may as well be only a two-track playlist, because I just keep hitting repeat on this duo.
No More Mysteries/Wait: Good songs today from Dave. Unlike the last two Dave solo albums by we covered, I have had the time and spinning this a bit inn advance, and I agree Sir Winstanley, Fearless Leader, last of the true Avids, that these are pretty good songs. They miss the Kinks sparkle Ray would have added (and Messrs. Dalton, Avory etc) but they sound like actual songs with verses and choruses they didn't bolted together. The lyrics are fine and Dave is in good voice (no dog whistles here thus far). Since this current era involves solo stuff in equal weight as group albums, I envision this playlist will bounce between Kinks and solo songs, and these two look set to make that playlist. Nothin here is going to bump a good kinks song, but both songs will get some air time in my future.
Wait...... Dave has made quite a conventional ballad here and more power to him for it! Nice melodies (controlled vocals) and synth and i feel the lyric with Dave emoting benefits greatly from the musical accompaniment as to being read from the page. This sounds like it would be great on a film soundtrack!
No More Mysteries Dave is channeling a nice Travelling Wilbury's vibe here - I'd love to have heard Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison on backing vocals on this one. It's like finding a lost Wilbury's demo! Wait Dave shifts gear into what I now associate with the Eurovision big ballad template. He does it pretty well too, even though it's just a demo. Unless I'm misunderstanding, the territory that will get this thread shut down is the theory of evolution.
Sorry. I just associate TX with compulsory church on sundays and didn’t think we had anyone on this thread from there for me to offend. I will end it now. This tangent I mean.
Or even more so : with its harrissonesque slide sounds, later Lynne licks and Petty/Dylan harmonica, it could almost pass for Dave's audition tape to be enrolled in the mighty traveling supergroup (or their Americana little cousins, Golden Smog). Good singing, nice bridge, real potential, alien God love story lyrics notwithstanding (based on the Sci-fi theories about Egypt being aliens or visited by them). This is another early alt. country mid-tempo ballad, the like of which is often Dave’s default setting. Lest we forget that he was the first Davies brother to use the wonderful Jayhawks as his backing band. Wait’s obviously older, sounding like a possible Glamour outtake, with its synth pop vibe. Dave sings it well too, the ultra-falsetto is less ragged than usual, clean and beautiful.
Ah that may be why in the 1972 Ladies And Gentlemen The Rolling Stones (filmed concert from those parts) Jagger asks the audience why they aren't all in church!
I just listened again after reading the multiple references to “harmonica” (vs the accordion) and concede that everyone else is correct. Harmonica, it is. (Re: No More Mysteries)
I thought that Jagger said that during a Sunday LA Forum show during the ‘75 Tour. Anyway, neither TX nor any other US state has a compulsory church attendance law. It would be rather unconstitional.
I saw this at The Hole in Tokyo. In ‘71 or ‘72. 2nd run, dirt cheap, smoke-filled (in fact, smoking was obligatory), basement theater. Same place I saw ‘Vanishing Point’ and ‘Two-Lane Blacktop.’ And a lot of others (‘Red Sun’, Alain Delon and Charles Bronson were huge stars in Japan). Anyway, your reference just took me back in time for a moment.
Phew! I just looked at the index and found the spot. But, yeah, we began our discussion with track 2 (Violet Dreams).
No More Mysteries This seems like we're back in the late 60s solo Dave era! Lovely layering of harmonica and guitars. Dave's vocal is really good, and the instrumentation and production is real and human. The lead slide guitar lines with the melody is nice, and works really well to give some space to the song. I hear some Dylan/Harrison/Wilburys here as well, as has been noted. A really good solid song. The chorus melody does remind me of something else, but can't quite put my finger on it. Whatever it is, it's good. EDIT: Got it! The chorus reminds me of Tom Petty's verses in Wildflowers (1994). Wait This is very un-Kinks like, and rather un-Dave like really too. What this reminds me of is Forever Young by Alphaville. Just awash in 1984 era synth beds and reverbed drum machines. But this one doesn't quite have the same kind of hook as Forever Young, and the drums don't seem to fit the song as well. Almost as if he just randomly picked a drum pattern on a Casio keyboard and just stuck with it. Although Dave's vocal is very good, I don't think I'll come back to this one much in the future.
Wow, this is quite the embarrassing mess. I swear I proofed this guys! Here is what I actually intended to say (Because what I actually submitted is such gibberish I doubt anyone can figure out what I was trying to say): No More Mysteries/Wait: Good songs today from Dave. Unlike the last two Dave solo albums we covered, I have had the time to spin this album a bit in advance, and I agree with Sir Winstanley, our Fearless Leader, the last of the true Avids, that these are pretty good songs. They miss the Kinks sparkle Ray would have added (and Messrs. Dalton, Avory etc) but they sound like actual songs with verses and choruses that weren’t just bolted together from two or three unrelated demos Dave had laying around. The lyrics are fine (although I have to admit I almost miss all the alien sex scenes he usually sings about) and Dave is in good voice (no dog whistle decibel level vocals on these two). Since this current era involves solo stuff in equal weight as Kinks albums, I envision this playlist will bounce around between Kinks and Ray and Dave solo songs, and these two look set to make that playlist. Nothing here is going to bump a good kinks song, but both songs will get some air time in my future. I have proofed this twice. Let’s see how many typos I missed this time!
